Fear to Friendship
by Zothar
Summary: Bruce knows the fear. He is used to it. How does he react to the one man that doesn't seem to fear him? Non-slash.
1. The Monster

The fear he is used to.

It's become what is normal for him, something he can count on. When people are afraid, they leave him alone. If they leave him alone, he can't hurt anybody. It's a good system. A lonely system, but good nonetheless.

What he isn't used to is Tony Stark.

Now, Bruce can smell fear. Literally. Something to do with the Other Guy, he figures. He can tell when people are afraid of him, and how afraid. He can tell that all the other members of the Avengers still fear him to an extent. Sure, they love having the Hulk on their side, but nobody is exactly willing to face him outside of a battle with aliens. Even Fury is afraid of him.

But not Tony Stark. Iron Man. His Highness. Whatever he preferred to be called. When Tony was around, he couldn't smell the smallest fragrance of fear coming from the man.

Romanov still watches him like a cat, waiting to see if he was going to change again. Not that she would be able to do anything. So far the only person able to fight an even battle with him was Thor, and even the demigod was unsure of the Hulk. Hawkeye and Captain America keep their distance. Fury doesn't come around him if it is not completely necessary.

When he had first met Tony, the man had congratulated his work, and then doubly congratulated the fact that he was the Hulk. He seemed pleased, that Bruce had such a destructive potential. What's worse, he had started to purposely aggravate Bruce, just so he could see what would happen. Foolish, stupid even. But not scared.

Bruce doesn't know what to do with it. He had never met someone who had seen his full horrible potential and been totally unfazed by it. So when Tony had invited him to stay a while at Stark mansion, the choice had been easy. He wanted to know what it would be like, to be around people who weren't jumping at his every move. He wanted to feel normal.

Not that Stark is the easiest man to live with. His ego rivals the size of his tower, and even now he continually tries to provoke Bruce. But it's okay. Because that just shows once again that he isn't afraid. His way of telling Bruce that he won't be an outcast forever.

Bruce is used to the fear. But he is beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, he could get used to the friendship even more.


	2. The Man

Everyone is just stupid, Tony decides.

Well, compared to him, that was a given. But still.

He watches from the doorway as the rest of the avengers are relaxing in his; no, their living room. That was still something for him to get used to. The large television was playing the Knick's game, as Thor and Steve looked on, amazed. The two assassins sit nearby, playing chess on a game table and sharing a comfortable silence. Fury is watching all with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand, leaning against the bar counter.

Banner is missing. Of course, he usually is nowadays. Hiding down in his lab, going over formulas and chemistry and the like, still trying to find a cure. As if what he has is a disease. Of course, the way everyone else treats him, it might as well be.

People underestimate Tony Stark. Billionaire, philanthropist, womanizer, arrogant asshole, genius, the list goes on of his names . Which are all true, and he does nothing to hide that fact. One thing people always miss, though, is observant. Which really, once again, should be a given. He created an arc-reactor in his chest, for christsake. He's learned to look for the details.

Romanov's hand resting on her gun when Bruce walks in, and Clint subtly moving to protect her.

Steve gripping his shield a little tighter when the doctor walks within ten feet of him.

Thor staring at the man with caution, albeit interest, studying him for some kind of threat.

Fury dismissing him without making eye contact. And trying to keep a damn Hulk-cage in the Avenger's tower, which had not gone over well with Tony.

_"We aren't trying to lock him up. It's just a precaution if something were to go wrong."_

_"I'm sorry, which part of 'Large, reinforced titanium bars, sleeping gas, and electro-shock therapy' isn't trying to lock him up? Or am I just getting mixed signals here?"_

He also notices Bruce. The carefully chosen words, as though every phrase and action has infinite amounts of thought put into them. The resignation when someone who recognizes him shies away. The guilt when he looks at Romanov, and the hurt when they all mysteriously drift away from him in a large room. The fact that he sees all their reactions as well, and removes himself just to alleviate any tension.

He sees of himself everything the rest of the Avengers see; a monster, a threat, a liability.

Always the opposite of what Tony Stark can see.

So Tony decides that they must all be stupid, if they can't see this. What isn't awesome about someone who can turn into a giant, green smashing machine? Someone who can kick bad guy ass, look awesome, and be brilliant on top of it?

Someone who doesn't have shards of metal in his chest, ready to rip into his heart at a moment's notice. Who doesn't need to crack a joke every five seconds, and can feel on equal grounds with the people surrounding him.

Someone who doesn't need a suit to be a hero.


	3. The Team

Tony pushed himself away from the doorframe, stretching his neck as he did so. The Knicks game was at halftime, though Thor and Steve were still mesmorized by the television in front of them.

"Well, I'm gonna see if our Jolly Green Giant wants to join us," he said, apparently oblivious to the reactions in the room at the suggestion. Tension immediately sprung into the air as the group became quiet, staring after the billionaire. Tony walked to the elevator, then turned around, paused.

"Unless of course one of you would like to come with me?" He asked this looking directly at Natasha, causing Clint to shift in front of her and glare daggers at Tony. The man barely noticed.

"How 'bout you, Fury? I mean, as the director and all, you really should try and get your whole group together for events like this."

Fury slowly set his glass down, fixing his one good eye on Stark. "Doctor Banner is in the middle of doing research, and I'm sure he'd have come himself if he had wanted to."

"Oh yeah, that was very believable," Tony quipped. "Except you said the line a little too fast. Try slowing it down, drawing out the part of him apparently not wanting to join the fun-group."

Fury didn't respond, choosing instead to glare at the man. Tony turned to face Steve. "Cap? Capsicle? Captain Underpants?"

"What?" Steve growled, annoyed at the less-than-attractive nicknames Tony seemed to be able to conjure up just for him. "He knows he's welcome, if he wants to join us up here."

"My god, you're as bad as the director. Seriously, who did your acting classes?" Tony asked, glancing back and forth between the accused. Nobody moved, except to avoid eye contact or glare whenever Tony looked in their direction.

Thor shifted in the couch he was sitting on. "I feel as though my emotions were more difficult to control, while observing the foreign game on this enchanted box." It took even Tony a moment to realize he was referring to the television. "Perhaps it would be difficult for the Doctor to control his, other side?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, unlike you, Thunder-dome, he's been around television as much as the rest of us. Seriously," he asked, hands spread, "nobody?"

The room sunk back into silence for a moment before Natasha spoke. "If you are such good friends with him, then why don't you just join him down there?" she said, the bitterness naked in her voice.

Tony clapped and pointed in her direction. "Now that was a performance, gentlemen. And yeah, I think I will. Company would be better than up here, anyhow."

Fury stood taller. "I still want the restrained area put in place for Doctor Banner."

"Oh, the Hulk cage? Yeah, uh, not gonna happen," he said, walking towards the elevator.

"That was not a request."

"My house, my money, my call." Tony stopped inside the elevator, holding a hand up to stay the doors. When he faced them, there was no humor in his expression. "The only person who doesn't hate Banner is Thunderbrain over here, and that's only because he is to preoccupied trying to figure out what a damn microwave is." Then, pointing to each of the Avengers, he spoke. "You're a couple of assassins who have shed as much innocent blood as guilty, you're a bottle of steriods and test chemicals who happened to get it right, you are the lucky man with one eye who gets to boss us around, and I'm just a guy in a suit. So maybe we aren't the best people to judge him. Maybe we're the only ones who would be able to accept him."

When no one spoke, Tony shrugged, then moved his hands as the doors started to close. "Or maybe not."


	4. Past and Present

Bruce sat at the computer, scanning the information displayed across the screen and typing a few keys occasionally. A couple empty water bottles surrounded his workplace, the trashcan already full. The room, courtesy of Tony Stark, really was a scientist's dream. He hadn't even used half of the monitors yet, nor touched the virtual display, though he couldn't help but be intrigued. It was truly fascinating how much money Tony had put into Bruce's lab.

His lab. That thought still struck him as strange. It was more than anyone had ever given him before; more than he had thought anyone could give. Tony had even gone to the trouble of reinforcing the walls to "Make it harder to smash through, you know, if you get a result you don't like. Or I piss you off and need to run into the next room."

Of course, when Bruce had overheard a conversation between Tony and Fury about building a specialized room for him, he figured out the compromise. In a way, he was touched that Tony trusted him enough to not want to put any kind of safety precaution in. It was foolhardy and plain stupid, of course, but touching nonetheless.

He couldn't stay. That had been decided from the start. While he greatly appreciated the place to stay for a few weeks, he needed to be moving on. Working with the rest of the Avengers had been quite an experience, but it was becoming more and more clear that unless they faced an enemy as difficult as Loki again, he would be unwelcomed. And he agreed with them; the Other Guy was simply too unpredictable to be trusted.

The elevator doors slid open, and in walked Tony Stark in full glory. He glanced around the room without so much as a look at Bruce. To anyone else, he would seem bored. His sharp eyes didn't miss the fact that Bruce still hadn't unpacked very much, nor had he made any move to make it a personable living space. But he said nothing.

"I gotta teach you how to use the virtual display, Doc. Seriously, helps a ton with models and design. Not that you make as much as I do, but it can do stuff on the microscopic level as well."

Bruce gave is half-grin. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Yup, gonna have to teach you that. Oh and next month I'm getting an upgrade to the molecular module. There might be a way to program nanobots so they strengthen the immune system. I can build them, of course, but I'm not good with working on things that have flesh and blood. Or being around them for that matter. Has Fury gotten crankier than usual? Seems like it."

Bruce chuckled. "I wouldn't know," he responded dryly. "And don't lie. If you really have an upgrade for the module, it would have been put in already. You never plan a month ahead. You don't plan for more than a day ahead."

Tony feigned surprise. "I run a multi-billion dollar business."

"Pepper runs a multi-billion dollar business. You take the credit."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Twelve percent," he muttered, hands on his hips. "Either way, I'm not going to be implementing the upgrade for another month. So pretty much the same thing. Seriously, I think he has begun to lay off of his PMS medication. You know, the one he shares with Romanov?"

Banner chuckled again, looking back to his screen. Honestly, he didn't feel any closer to a cure now than he did when he had first transformed. Still, he had to keep looking. "There is no reason to put it off another month. If you want my help, let's just get started on it right now."

"Can't."

Bruce looked at him. "Can't?"

"Nope."

When no further explanation was forthcoming, Bruce sighed. "Why not?"

Tony shrugged. "Pepper's birthday. Don't want to get sucked into another project and forget about it. I mean, it's just a birthday, and I don't care and all, but she gets all bent out of shape when I forget it."

"Tony, her birthday was last month."

Stark glared at the scientist. "How do you know that?"

"Because you wouldn't shut up about it. And I got her a gift." Bruce removed his glasses, looking directly at the playboy. "Tony, what's this really all about?"

The man shrugged, glancing at the floor, then the ceiling. "Oh, I don't know. I just don't feel like it right now. You gotta have the right vibe to get these things done. I just don't feel it."

Bruce gave up and shook his head, turning back to the computer. He barely caught the inventor's next words.

"At least it would be one more month you could stick around here."

Banner let out a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. "How'd you figure it out?"

Tony shrugged. "Not too hard. I mean, antisocial, shy, withdrawn, and the fact that you still have everything packed up."

"It's better if I leave. For everyone."

"But the lab! Isn't it amazing? Come on, you have to admit, you aren't gonna find this anywhere else."

Bruce shook his head. "Natasha doesn't trust me, which takes away Clint's trust as well. Fury thinks I'm some sort of monster." He chuckled. "Not that he's wrong. Steve is wary, and Thor, well, he's oblivious. Better than nothing I suppose," he added with a half-grin.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"You?"

Tony opened his mouth, closed it, then quickly pointed up. "JARVIS. I mean, you're the only other intelligent person he can talk to around here. And don't forget Pepper. She adores you."

"Tony, she calls me the scary Hulk-man."

There was a pause. "That was only once. But hey, there's still JARVIS. Right?"

Bruce turned back to his computer once again. "I'm leaving in a few days, Tony. I've got a flight booked back to India, then another in a different name to a different place. I'm not gonna be the cause of any disunity in this team."

When he heard no other sound, he figured Stark had left. It meant a lot to him that Tony would try and get him to stay. He had never thought he would have a friend once the Other Guy had become a permanent part of his life, but Tony had boasted and pushed and prodded his way past the walls Bruce put up. Honestly, the hardest part about leaving was the fact that he would be leaving behind the one person who he could honestly feel free and unpressured around, the only person who didn't fear him. But it wasn't enough.

"My father was never around." The comment took Bruce by surprise, and he looked up sharply. Tony stood with his back to the scientist, studying the grid on the far wall with uninterested eyes. "Too busy saving the world, and whatnot. He always left me cool gifts and all, mostly robots to help me out with whatever I was doing." He smirked. "Why else would I keep Butterfingers around? Nostalgia." He looked down, cleared his throat, and let his eyes wander everywhere but Bruce's face. "I never knew my mother. Apparently she found someone who wasn't married to his job early on."

Bruce couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tony never talked about his past; nobody ever brought it up.

"I drank. A lot. Didn't really help, but hey, everyone's got their vices. Nobody in my life seemed to stick around. Dad died, mom left, and nobody in the family wanted some bratty genius. Emphasis on the genius." Tony said, suddenly turning to point and look at him.

"It had gotten better, wasn't drinking as much, and Pepper helped. Until my little kidnapping journey in the Middle East." There was another pause, and Tony cleared his throat. "I saw a man die. From one of my weapons. The man who made the original machine," he indicated to his chest, "that kept me alive. And I didn't return the favor." He once again wasn't meeting Bruce's eyes.

"The drinking started in earnest after that again. Never really stopped." Bruce gave him a curious look, and Tony shrugged. "What, you think I'm sober when I giggle in Fury's face like that?"

That got a chuckle from Bruce, and Tony forced a grin. "My point is, everyone has things that they have a hard time controlling. Everyone, hell, especially the Avengers, has shit in the past that messes them up. And running away from it won't really help anything."

"Doctor Banner!"

The demigod's loud voice boomed through the walls, causing both Tony and Bruce to jump. When the locked door wouldn't budge, they heard a grumble, and then "Mjölnir!"

"Oh boy," muttered Tony, as the magical hammer connected with the reinforced armor on the door. Said door was sent flying across the room in a crumpled heap, crashing loudly against the opposite wall.

"Good think I didn't put the projectors there," Tony mused, then stopped. "Metal door smashed by Thor's Hammer. How much do you think that would go for on Ebay?"

Bruce chuckled. "You probably wouldn't notice that much cash if it was out of your pocket."

"True. Hey Lightning Rod, what's the idea?"

Thor stopped his glaring at the door and, upon seeing the Man of Iron and the Doctor, beamed. "Ah! I have found you." He marched past Tony and stood directly before Bruce. Without hesitation, he reached forward and placed both hands on the man's shoulders. Bruce's eyes flashed green, and his muscles tensed. Thor noticed, but did not flinch away, continuing to smile.

"See doctor, now you know that the Man of Iron is not the only one who doesn't fear you," he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. Then, with a clap on the man's back, he stood straight again. "Come Doctor! You must join me in watching the mystic box in the upper room. It is quite fascinating, and I find it hard to remove myself from the soft seats."

"Actually, I'd rather stay down here. Makes everything easier," Bruce replied, edging away from the loud man. Thor looked at him, then gave a knowing smile.

"Very well, we shall stay. You and the Man of Iron will talk of science, and I shall pretend to listen and understand." With that, he promptly took a seat and leaned forward, to all appearances wrapped in whatever the scientists were about to say.

Bruce stared at him for a moment. "You really aren't going to listen at all, are you?"

"Not a word." Agreed Thor, still smiling.

Bruce laughed, truly laughed, for the first time in a long time. Longer than he cared to remember.

Tony smirked. "Well, come on, Thunderchops. I'm sure we can use you. I've got some things I'd like you to strength-test. Material for my floor." He glanced at Banner. "I want to make sure they are durable enough to withstand a demigod being smashed into them."

Thor huffed. "You will be searching a long time for such a material, Man of Iron!" he boasted, puffing out his chest. "But I will gladly test anything you wish."

Tony turned and poked Thor in the chest. "No Mjölnir."

Bruce watched as the two men argued over whether or not the hammer would be allowed admittance to the testing room with a smile. Then, walking over to the packed bags, be began to remove their contents. Perhaps he could stay, at least another month.

Perhaps he could get used to the friendship after all.


End file.
